Nurse guilty of misconduct relating to 30 separate allegations

Denied she had had 'effectively strangled' a baby with its own umbilical cord

A midwife who nearly strangled a newborn to death with its umbilical cord has been found guilty of misconduct.

Mercy Ngozi Okeke - who was employed at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, Kent between January 3 to February 24, 2006 - denied around 30 separate allegations claiming they were fabricated by colleagues.

But she was found guiltyby the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and now faces a ban from the medical profession.

Mercy Ngozi Okeke, was found guilty by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of misconduct and now faces a ban from the profession

The tribunal heard about numerous incidents, including how Okeke had 'effectively strangled' a baby with its own umbilical cord as she failed to cut it after birth, injected two patients in the
wrong place and
carried out a vaginal exam incorrectly.

It was also claimed that she demonstrated poor communication skills with patients and families as well as fellow colleagues.

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Addidng that Okeke demonstrated 'a lack of
knowledge, skills and judgement across a broad range of practice areas
which include the core skills of midwifery.'

Colleagues at Queen
Mary's Hospital, were quick to raise concerns over Okeke, who trained at King George Hospital in conjunction with South Bank University.

In a three
page email written to bosses following one incident midwife Helen Foreman said: 'Mercy cannot be relied up to act safely and react to
clinical change.'

Giving evidence, midwife Anne-Marie Robertson added: 'I was working with Mercy on January 17, 2006, and I was expecting to support her, but for her to lead.

'She seemed very unhappy about this but would not explain what her concerns were, or would mumble which was hard to understand.'.

'She was given clear instructions but didn't seem to be interested in what she had to do.

'She showed unwillingness to interact with the patients, she just wanted to stand in the corner of the room and watch it happen.'

In defense Okeke claimed she was bullied and
'tormented' by staff while under a period of supervised practice, but
there was no record of her ever making a complaint.

After receiving midwifery training Okeke resigned from her first post at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, after just eight months in December 2005 and was then placed under supported
practice amid numerous concerns about her incompetence.

In July 2006 she then went onto work
as an agency nurse for Newham University Hospital, in Plaistow before moving to King George Hospital
in Goodmayes, Essex.

At both hospitals a range of medical mistakes were reported and she failed an assessment testing her knowledge and communication skills.

The NMC panel agreed her fitness to practice was impaired and her conduct fell below that of a registered nurse.

An interim ban on the nurse will continue
until the panel meets again to decide on what sanction to impose.